Juliet V. Strauss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juliet V. Strauss
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Portrait of Strauss, c. 1900
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| Born | Juliet Virginia Humphries January 7, 1863 Rockville, Indiana |
| Died | May 22, 1918 (aged 55) |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Isaac R. Strouse |
| Parents | William and Susan Humphries |
Juliet V. Strauss (born January 7, 1863, died May 22, 1918) was an American writer and speaker. She came from Rockville, Indiana. Strauss was a key leader in helping to create Turkey Run State Park in Parke County, Indiana. This park opened in 1916 and was Indiana's second state park.
She started her writing career at the Rockville Tribune newspaper. There, she wrote a daily column called "Squibs and Sayings." She wrote this from 1893 until she died in 1918. From 1903 to 1918, she also wrote a weekly column for the Indianapolis News. For this, she used the pen name "The Country Contributor."
Strauss also wrote a monthly column for the Ladies' Home Journal called "The Ideas of a Plain Country Woman." This ran from 1905 to 1918. Her articles were later put into a book with the same name in 1906. In 1913, Strauss helped start the Woman's Press Club of Indiana. Years later, in 1922, this group placed a statue in her honor at Turkey Run State Park. This was to remember her work in saving the park's natural beauty.
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Early Life and Education
Juliet Virginia Humphries was born in Rockville, Indiana, on January 7, 1863. She was the second of four daughters. Her parents, William and Susan (King) Humphries, were early farmers in rural Parke County, Indiana. Her father gave her the nickname "Gypsy," which was later shortened to "Gyp." After her father died in 1867, her mother raised the children alone.
Juliet went to local public schools in Rockville. She lived in the town her whole life. She began writing for the Rockville Tribune newspaper when she was still a teenager. One of her first articles, "At the Rink," was published in 1880. She used the pseudonym "La Gitani," which means "the gypsy."
Marriage and Family
Juliet Humphries married Isaac R. Strouse on December 22, 1881. Even though her husband spelled his last name Strouse, she always used the German spelling, Strauss. In 1882, Isaac became a co-owner of the Rockville Tribune newspaper. By 1889, he owned the newspaper completely.
Juliet and Isaac Strouse (Strauss) had two daughters. One daughter, Marcia F. S. Ott, later became a writer for the Rockville Republican. Strauss's readers knew her family home in Rockville as "Grouch Place."
Career
From 1893 until her death in 1918, Strauss worked as a newspaper and magazine writer. She was also an author and a public speaker. Through her writing, she shared good things about country life and old traditions. She also wrote about motherhood and a woman's role at home. Strauss encouraged women to be themselves and follow their own interests. Even though she supported traditional roles, her work brought her into the public eye.
Journalist
Strauss had limited time for writing because of her home and family. But she was determined to be a journalist. She started as a writer for the Rockville Tribune. Her weekly column, "Squibs and Sayings," first appeared on February 9, 1893. This column was mostly for women. It shared her thoughts on daily life in rural Indiana. Besides writing, Strauss was also an associate editor at the Tribune. She helped manage the newspaper.
Strauss's column in the Rockville Tribune had many different stories. She wrote about magazine ads, women riding bicycles, and funny thoughts on married life. Locals really liked her writing. Other Hoosier writers also encouraged her. These included poet James Whitcomb Riley and author John Clark Ridpath. George S. Cottman, who started the Indiana Magazine of History, praised Strauss. He liked her ability to describe early life in Indiana.
Starting in November 1903, Strauss wrote a weekly column for the Indianapolis News. She used the name "The Country Contributor." Her first article in the News was published on November 21, 1903. Her last column appeared on May 25, 1918, just two days after she died. Strauss's writing focused on the importance of a good home life. She also wrote about the joys of living in the country and small towns. She supported women's roles at home. However, she also told women to keep their own unique personalities.
The Ladies' Home Journal began publishing Strauss's monthly column in November 1905. It was called "The Ideas of a Plain Country Woman." This column continued until her death in 1918. It made her famous across the country as a journalist. The Curtis Publishing Company also published a book of her Journal columns in 1906. Edward Bok, the editor of the Journal, said her articles were "widely read." He also said they were "more popular than the writings of any single contributor to the magazine."
Conservation Activist
In the mid-1910s, Strauss became active in protecting nature. She joined the conservation movement across the country. Strauss especially loved the forests near her home in Rockville, Indiana. She was dedicated to protecting them. In April 1915, she reportedly wrote a letter to Indiana Governor Samuel M. Ralston. She asked him to save about 2,382 acres of land at Turkey Run. At that time, it was called Bloomingdale Glens. She wanted to stop it from being cut down for timber.
Her letter is thought to have made Governor Ralston decide to create a Turkey Run Commission. This group was tasked with saving the forest. On April 27, 1915, the governor asked Strauss to be a member of the commission. Strauss also asked Richard Smith, an editor at the Indianapolis News, to help promote saving Turkey Run.
Another Indiana conservationist, Richard Lieber, also wanted to protect the state's forests. He wanted to create a state park system. In November 1915, Lieber met with Governor Ralston. They talked about starting a state park system to celebrate Indiana's 100th birthday as a state. Ralston agreed. He appointed Lieber to the Turkey Run Commission in January 1916.
As members of the Turkey Run Commission, Strauss and Lieber led the efforts to save Turkey Run as a state park. Strauss, Lieber, and their team started a public campaign. They wanted to raise awareness and get people to donate money. This money would be used to buy the land at Turkey Run. Strauss wrote articles in the Indianapolis News and Rockville Tribune. She described her experiences in rural Parke County. She urged others to help save its natural beauty. She also donated money to the park fund herself.
The Turkey Run Commission joined with another group. They hoped to buy the Turkey Run property. But their first try to buy land for the new state park system failed. The Hoosier Veneer Company bought Turkey Run at a public auction for $30,200 on May 18, 1916. They outbid the state parks commission by just $100.
Later, the state government made a deal with the lumber company. They agreed to buy the land for $40,200 on November 11, 1916. Most of the money came from private donations. A big part came from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Association ($5,065). Another $5,000 came from auto racing fan Arthur C. Newby. Turkey Run became Indiana's second state park. The first was McCormick's Creek Canyon in Owen County, Indiana, which became McCormick's Creek State Park earlier in 1916.
Death and Legacy
Strauss died on May 22, 1918. Her most important legacy was her successful work to save Turkey Run. This led to the creation of Turkey Run State Park in 1916. It became Indiana's second state park.
Besides her work to save Turkey Run, an Indianapolis News article in 1918 called her "one of the best known of Indiana writers." Strauss was very popular with her readers in Indiana. They saw her as a "friend and counselor." She was also known across the country for her articles in the Ladies' Home Journal. Her "down-to-earth" writing style covered topics important to women. She "celebrated the joys of being a homemaker." Strauss also helped found the Woman's Press Club of Indiana in 1913.
Honors and Awards
- In July 1922, the Woman's Press Club of Indiana placed a memorial statue and fountain at Turkey Run State Park. Myra R. Richards created the sculpture. It was called Subjugation. This name showed the "spirit of Strauss's writing."
- Strauss was added to the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 2001.
- In 2012, the Indiana Historical Bureau put up a state historical marker. It is at her old home at 514 North Street in Rockville, Indiana. This honors Strauss for her work as a journalist. It also recognizes her efforts to save Turkey Run and make it a state park.
Selected Published Works
- The Ideas of a Plain Country Woman (1906).
